Trusting You
by LuigiWife1551
Summary: Ardyn finds the foursome's strongest trait... and tears it apart, leaving them to figure out what is real and what is not. Will they learn to trust each other in time to take him down? No pairings, just lots of hurt and comfort.
1. Coincidental Meetings

**Hello all! As I mentioned in my profile, this is the first chapter in my new Final Fantasy mini-project. I'm super happy to be starting this, and I really hope you all will enjoy the ride! Of course, since it's the chocobros, expect arguments, angst and manly emotions to be aplenty! This will feature hurt Ignis and hurt Prompto, with caring Noctis and Gladiolus (over time, of course).**

 **Without further ado, please enjoy! I own me nothing except this plot.**

* * *

 **Trusting You**

 **Chapter 1: Coincidental Meetings**

Prompto got a very, very uneasy feeling about the strange amber-eyed man who brushed past them the first time they met. He shuffled closer to Gladiolus and Noctis, both of whom were about ready to dismiss talking and start throwing punches. Half of him wanted to take out his gun and fire a single shot in that creepy man's skull, but something else, a smaller part of his mind, screamed at him that something about this man was very, VERY off... and that this wouldn't be the last time they'd meet...

"I'm afraid you're out of luck." His voice alone caused a shudder to course through the blond. Too honey-toned, too... fake. It was wrong.. all wrong. But Prompto wasn't sure what the wrong part about it was, so he kept quiet as the others spoke.

"Are we?" Gladiolus's voice held a very 'no-nonsense' tone as he spoke. Ignis quietly moved forward, arm slightly outstretched to keep Noctis behind him.

"The boats bring you here." Not so much as a question, but an obvious statement. Thinking back on it, Prompto wondered if he had travelled with them on the boat, what would've been.

"What about 'em?" he finally found his voice and asked shakily. The amber-eyed man looked at him with an expression that was unreadable at the time, butt one Prompto wished he'd realized sooner.

"Well, they'll not take you forth." The strange looked both annoyed yet pleased with this outcome. Prompto wanted to look closer, to see more than what he did, but the vibe... if he were honest, it scared him a little. So he stayed behind Gladio and next to Noctis, keeping his eyes on him. Noctis soo grew annoyed with the meaningless chatter and stepped forward.

"And what's your story?" Gladio seemed to do all the talking, with Ignis watching the stranger closely, analyzing, more than likely his dagger already clutched in his hand. And yet, it appeared no one could sense the... almost evil vibe that was pouring off this stranger. It bothered Prompto a lot more than he realized.

The amber-eyed man- its strange to the blond how he could clearly remember his eyes so well, but given what would eventually happen, he didn't find it shocking- scratched his head and turned towards them, seemingly heading back from where he came. "I'm an impatient traveler, ready to turn ship." he explained casually, as if he'd known them his whole life.

"This ceasefire is getting us nowhere." Prompto and the others watched as he pulled something from his jacket, before abruptly halting his speech and tossing what appeared to be a token or coin in Noct's direction. Gladio's quick reflexes caught it first... and that was when the first real sensation under his wristband began to emerge. Prompto unconsciously grabbed at it to lessen the pain as Gladio said, "What is this, some kind of souvenir?"

"They make those?" Prompto almost forgot about the pain in his wrist as he hurried to see what Gladio held. Noct just gave his friend a glare.

"What? No."

"Consider it... your allowance." The strange said. And that strange pain acted up all over again, though Prompto did his best to push it back and act normal.

"Oh? And who's 'allowing' us?" At this point, Gladio was getting real fed up with the strange man. Well, so was everyone else, but Gladio stepped to him, ready to fight.

The strange 'innocently' held his arms out in mock surrender, turned around and simply answered, "A man of no consequences."

As he walked off, and his friends looked at his retreating back with mixed emotions, Prompto wondered why his wrist kept hurting, and even more so... why he was getting such a negative vibe from this character. It wasn't right...

"Yeah, right." Noct scoffed. Prompto decided to shake it off and agreed with his best friend. That was a strange encounter, yes, but surely it was just coincidence. There is no way he'd be seeing them again... would he?

* * *

The second time they ran into the strange man, they finally got a name.

They ran into him while trying to see about Noctis's recurring headaches. Prompto suggested that the foursome head to the outlook to take a look at the Disc, unsure if it had anything to do with causing Noct's head to hurt. It was settled on, and Prompto had been so excited, he was looking forward to it...

Until they ran into the amber-eyed man, who was standing next to one of the only available viewers. He turned upon hearing them and that fake smile was plastered on once more... Prompto hated it.

"What a coincidence."

"I'm not so sure it is..." Gladio muttered as they approached. Prompto agreed in his head. This was getting way too strange.

"Aren't nursery rhymes curious things?" the strange man asked. Prompto didn't know what rhymes had to do with him being here, but once again, let Gladio handle the conversation.

As if knowing of Prompto's confusion (or perhaps the fact that everyone looked at him that way), the strange man elaborated.

"Like this one...From the deep, the Archaean calls... yet on deaf ears, the gods' tongue falls. The King made to kneel, in pain, he crawls."

Prompto realized that the 'king' in that rhyme was his best friend, and the horrifying concept of him crawling to anything, anyone, even a god... that wasn't something he wanted to face. Anxiety creeping inside his chest, he blurted out, "So how do we keep him on his feet?!"

The amber eyed man looked at him, really looked at him, and that smile twisted into something... wrong. Sinister. He walked past them and answered, "You only need heed the call. Visit the Archaean and hear his plea."

Looking over his shoulder, he offered to give them a ride. The foursome came together to discuss it and Prompto didn't like the idea of being near this man. He made his wrist hurt, and that vibe was growing even stronger as they simply stood in his presence.

"We in?" Gladio asked in a hushed voice. Noct shrugged, shaking his head.

"I don't know."

Prompto thought about it, before he offered a solution. "Okay, so how about we take a ride..."

Gladio looked at the blond, seeing his train of thought, and crossed his arms. "... but watch our backs."

Both looked at the king and chef. They both seemed to mull the idea over before they nodded in agreement.

"Let's do it." Noct whispered to them. They looked at the strange man standing nearby, smiling that spine-tingling sinister smile that Prompto wanted to be far away from.

Seeing them all approach and Noct nodding his head, the amber-eyed man headed for the car and introduced himself. Prompto would never forget that name.

Ardyn. That name that caused so much between them... that hurt him and his friends...

They drove, Noct being almost forced to drive due to Ardyn 'worried' about Ignis driving too much and wanting them to stay within range of him. Noct was clearly irritated, but Prompto's pain was becoming... worse. Still, he bit down on his tongue, pushing it back. It was pure coincidence. Nothing more.

It soon grew dark, and they needed someplace to stay for the night, so they pulled into a caravan. Ardyn decided to have a room to himself, leaving the foursome to discuss their new friend in privacy.

"Ignis... do you know him?" Noct asked, leaning forward. The advisor shook his head. The name didn't ring a bell to anyone. Prompto sat back in his chair, rubbing his wrist subconsciously. Ignis noticed the empty stare in Prompto's eyes but just as soon as he saw it, it disappeared. He stopped rubbing his wrist and sat up straight, listening to Noctis and Gladiolus discuss Ardyn and his real intentions over dinner. Ignis wondered what that was all about, and made a note to pull him aside to ask about it later.

Later on, the foursome had headed for the second caravan for the night. The men had two king sized to themselves, with Prompto and Ignis sharing one bed, and Noctis and Gladio sharing the other.

They were asleep soundly, so no one noticed the amber eyed man stealthily move in the night, coming to a stop in front of their room. As quiet as a mouse, Ardyn opened the door and stepped inside, a small black item in his hand. His eyes quickly spotted the intended target- the youngest member curled in his sheets, a smile on his face as he dreamt about Cindy.

Without waking the others, Ardyn slithered over to their bed and leaned over, planting the small item inside Prompto's ear. He glanced over at Ignis, who slept with his back turned towards him and who hadn't moved an inch since his entrance.

"This time... it is time for you to hurt the ones you love most. Prompto Argentum... your secret will not remain that way for long." Ardyn breathed as he admired his work. The young man sleeping as if nothing was wrong... oh if he only knew...

Ardyn held up his first two fingers, and a black smoke emitted from them.

"Ignis Scientia... you shall be the first to suffer." And he flicked the smoke in his direction, allowing it to cover him completely. He couldn't kill the king, at least not yet. But he could make him suffer unimaginable pain, just as he was doomed to.

"Gladiolus Amicitia... you shall be next." He aimed that same smoke in his direction and like Ignis, it quietly covered him. Lastly, he looked to the king.

"Noctis... Lucis Caelum. It's such a shame I must hurt those related to me." He muttered as he stood over him. He glanced to Prompto and smiled. There was no need for the smoke to infect him. He would suffer... watching those he loved hurt and die over him.

"But it is time. Time for you to pay. Time for this world... to pay." Ardyn smiled warmly as he brushed a stray strand of blond hair from Prompto's face. Prompto stirred but otherwise didn't make a sound. Ardyn then noticed his exposed barcode and ran a finger across it, his touch almost ghost-like.

"The perfect way to end your king's life.. by using his so-called 'friends' to torture him." He chuckled to himself before he decided that his plan was put into place well enough.

"Let the games begin."

He disappeared just as fast as he entered. No one made a move or sound for the reminder of the night, and none of the foursome knew what plans lay in store for them.

* * *

 **And first chapter complete!**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter! Since this project is going to be a slow update, do not hesitate to ask my questions, drop advice, leave constructive criticism, anything you feel will make this chapter as flawless as possible!**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	2. Vision

**Hello all! Here we are with the next chapter! I'm so sorry for the long wait... I don't have a reason for why it was so late, but I'm glad for those who stuck around.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **I own nothing more than the plot.**

* * *

 **Trusting You**

 **Chapter 2: Vision**

The next morning, all four awoke in their usual manner- Ignis being the first to arise, followed by Gladio. Prompto sat up slowly, wondering what kind of adventures they were having and when they were to eat, and Noctis... well, being him, needed the most assistance in waking up. His eyes were barely cracked open when Ignis made mention of breakfast before more pressing matters arose.

"About that gentleman we met yesterday... Ardyn, he said his name was?" the chef asked as he paused in the process of making something with batter and eggs. Gladio was up and moving, collecting their belongings to load in the Regalia, and paused at the odd ending of sentence his friend left.

"What about him?"

Ignis adjusted his glasses and continued making what he was making, not sure how to phrase it. Noctis, who'd finally decided to join the world of the living, rubbed his eyes and simply said, "I say we ditch him."

Gladio shook his head as he went to pack their camping gear in the trunk. Ignis chuckled lightly and put some batter into the pan he had ready for pancakes. "It isn't that easy, Noct. We still do not know who he is, nor what his intentions are."

"Clearly, it can't be anything good, right? I'm getting some seriously bad vibes from that creep..." Noct grumbled as he rubbed his temples. Those nightmarish- vision... whatever he had last night were killing him. Ignis, who had been stirring something in a saucepan, noted from the corner of his eye the uncomfortable state Noct seemed to be in and spoke up.

"Gladio, could you fetch Noct a few painkillers?"

"For what?" Then Gladio stole a look at their king, realized what Ignis meant, and went to hunt them down. Prompto was sitting next to Noct at the breakfast bar, one hand propped in his hand as he watched Ignis gliding about in the kitchen.

"He IS a creep... and what do you think he was doing, telling us all that weird future stuff?" he asked. Ignis looked at Prompto as the words Ardyn spoke eventually came back to his memory and sighed.

"I am not sure, Prompto. But he knows something, and as much as I hate to admit it..."

Whatever was in the pan was finished and Ignis turned the flame off, moving the pan so he could start on what Prompto assumed were pancakes, Ignis-style. He felt a sickening feeling in the pit of his gut as he clearly saw what was about to be spoken.

"...we have to travel with that nutjob until we know what's gonna happen with Noct."

Ignis nodded before turning his attention to his stove. Gladio returned with the painkillers and gave them to Noct. Prompto didn't like where any of this was going, and wondered why he kept having a feeling something really, really bad was about to happen. He rested his head on the breakfast bar countertop, letting out a small sigh.

"I know we have to... but something about him is... just plain weird, you know? Anyways, let's focus on helping Noct. That's what's important, right?"

Gladio eyed the nervous blond from where he stood closest the door, a bit suspicious about his behavior. _'Yeah... but what's the big deal about Ardyn that YOU'RE freaking out so bad?'_

* * *

"Alright, so here is how we shall play this out."

The foursome were standing with Ardyn near their parked vehicles. Prompto was standing close to Gladio and Ignis, both of whom were beyond pissed that this man was still talking, and Gladio and Noct making it clear they could care less what he had to say.

"Enough with the talking already! Can we just drive?" Noct was still pissed that somehow, he'd been roped into driving early in the morning, and had to wonder if this... whoever he was knew that he wasn't one for driving if he could help it- why did he think Ignis was their main driver? But he had brought up a good point- Ignis was ALWAYS driving and he needed a break.

Noct realized he really hated getting guilt tripped like that. Especially from a stranger like him.

Noct headed for his Regalia, and Ardyn looked at his retreating figure in amusement before chuckling. "Well, someone's seems rather cranky this morning!" he exclaimed in that honeyed voice that was making Prompto sick.

"Trust me when I say he's not the only one." Gladio commented angrily, pushing past Ardyn to get to the Regalia as well. Prompto and Ignis followed suit, Prompto feeling just off... what was it about that guy that had him on edge?

 _'Noct's really pissed off... but I know it's not intentional or anything. That Ardyn dude is really pushing everyone's buttons, even Iggy, and that's saying a lot...'_ he thought as he sat down in his usual spot in the car. As he watched Noct start the car, he did realize even for them all being annoyed, it seemed a bit... tense. Too tense.

 _'I don't get what happening, but maybe once we get the hunt info, and get on the road, everyone's minds will clear out and we will be fine. Because THIS...'_ Prompto sank back into his seat and stared off at the landscape, the beautiful scenery not having any effect on the worries weighing down his mind.

 _'... isn't working for any of us. He's just... I dunno. Weird.'_

After entering the Regalia, Ardyn decided right then and now was a great time to list his... rules.

"This is not a race, it is a chase. You are not to pass me. Lost sight of me, and you will lose your way." Ardyn turned on the ignation before he tossed one more rule in.

"And no tailgating. An accident would spoil the trip."

Noctis cut his eyes at the man, who was smiling as he was rather amused with an annoyed Noctis. "ALRIGHT! Let's just go already!"

Chuckling, Ardyn pulled off, and Noct shortly afterwards, making sure to keep his distance enough for Ardyn to lead them to their destination, and not drive too fast... although the idea of ramming the back of his car was so tempting...

"Noct, do not even think about it. Otherwise YOU will have to pay for the damages the Regalia will most certainly incur." Ignis piped up from the back, having sensed his king's anger and knowing what he had planned to do.

Noct simply rolled his eyes and drove. _'Damn you, Ignis... how did you know?'_

* * *

The drive seemed to go on forever and ever... at least, to the blond who couldn't stand the silence. Everyone was so tense, no one felt like talking or anything. Even Prompto lost his interest in taking some scenic photos, and Noctis was tense from having to drive and dealing with a headache... yeah, Prompto told himself, this was one drive he wouldn't be keeping in his memory banks.

"Hey, Prom. Turn the radio on, will ya? Sick of the silence." Gladio asked from behind. His nose was still buried in a Japanese mystery- thriller book (from what Prompto was told once), and he hadn't looked up since they got in the car.

Prompto reached out and switched the knob to some random jazz music, not exactly sure what he was doing. He was still feeling very bothered by Arydn. His whole presence still disturbed him, and he felt something was... wrong. But it frustrated him that he had no idea what that sick feeling was. It was embedded in him, and he wished he could talk to his friends.

"You know something..." Gladio once again spoke up. Ignis looked at him.

"This is way too convenient for my liking. I don't like it... and I certainly do NOT trust him." Gladio's eyes narrowed as he considered this possibility strongly. Prompto, having now realized that he never thought about it until now, wondered...

"First Galdin, and then Lestallum... you don't think he could be...?"

"Following us? I wouldn't put it past him."

Ignis was growing worried now. He didn't like the mysterious shroud that seemed to cover the man they had no choice but to entrust their plans to locate Titan. "But to what end? What could he possibly get from offering his assistance?"

Prompto was secretly glad on the inside- they could feel it too! Iggy and Gladio could sense something was off with him too! Then Iggy said something that made him wonder about Ardyn...

"While I am concerned about is his origin. Who he truly is." Iggy sounded uncertain, something that didn't happen very often. Prompto didn't like that at all.

"He says he's from the empire? I find that hard to believe..." he mused, wishing he wasn't putting so much effort into this. Ardyn was bad news, plain and simple!

"As do I... but I find it ever harder to believe he is a Lucian." Iggy said, tapping his chin. "I'd sooner not rely on him."

Gladio looked at Noctis, who had been angry seething this entire time. "What's His Highness' opinion of Ardyn?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face. Noctis shrugged.

"A creepy old, annoying dude to me. Hate this guy..." He hissed between his teeth, accelerating just a bit more, inching closer to Ardyn's car. Prompto chuckled; he knew Noctis was a bit scary sometimes when he was mad, but this was just amusing.

Gladio growled as the man made a left turn, and Noct just barely managed to follow suit. "You definitely hit the head on the nail right there, man. But... he might be our only way to the Disc of Cauthess. Which means..."

"We 'watch our backs' the whole way? Yeah, cause I don't like this guy..." Gladio finished. Prompto repeated the plan from earlier in his head, allowing it to calm his steadily growing nerves.

 _'Watch our backs... watch our backs...'_

So concerned was he about Ardyn, he failed to notice Gladio's eyes boring into the back of his head. Gladio was starting to get the feeling Prompto knew more about this 'Ardyn' than he was letting on. It was strange that he was the only one who was getting 'bad vibes' from him, and it was to the point that he would physically cringe whenever he was around.

 _'Something ain't right with you, kid. And I intend to find out what.'_

As for the blond photographer, he was lost in his own thoughts once conversation stopped. Perhaps, once they were away from the nutcase, the feeling would go away. It just felt really... strange. Prompto clung onto that hope as they continued to follow Ardyn to the Disc of Cauthess. Noct needed to ask Titan for his help, they had a wedding to get to, and they had a war to prevent.

Yeah, there were WAY more important things to do. But it still just felt wrong. Knowing what he now knew, Prompto decided that the best course of action was just to ignore him. It was Noctis he seemed to be interested in, perhaps since they were both Lucians? He didn't really get it, but protecting his king and best friend was all he cared about and all he planned to do.

 _'Ardyn... I may not know you but whatever you're planning... you will NOT hurt my friends. I can promise you'll live to regret it.'_ he thought to himself. Soon, he settled in his seat and simply listened to the music- and Noctis' occasional swearing and Gladio's chuckling as Ardyn kept making sudden stops.

Prompto sank further into his seat and stared outside. Just a few more hours, hopefully... he could certainly make that, right?

* * *

"Noct... how are your headaches?" Ignis asked about an hour into the drive. Noctis had finally calmed down, although he still hated the golden-eyed man's guts for all this.

"Uh, they're fine for now. But they come without warning." he answered truthfully. Prompto looked at him, worried.

"Please stop if you need to, alright?" he begged, staring at him as if he'd have one right on the spot. Gladio and Iggy agreed.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want you to have one behind the wheel."

Noctis sighed. "Thaaaaaanks for the vote of confidence, Gladio."

Gladio laughed. It fell quiet again. And then:

"So any havens around here?"

Prompto wondered if Gladio was trying to do something with all the random questions, but at the moment, he wanted to address the damn haven issue- no way on earth was he sleeping in his uncomfortable bag again!

"Someone was to sleep outside! Annnnnd someone else wants to sleep in a PROPER BED!"

Gladio leaned forward and slugged Prompto in his shoulder. "Nice firm ground is good for your back... plus there's so much space for training. Astral knows you need it, skinny legs."

Prompto rolled his eyes and rubbed his sore arm. "Whatever. Can't you at least sleep in a caravan? I don't understand why you like camping so much..."

Gladio sat back and crossed his arms. "Sleeping under the stars, at one with nature... you tell me, what's not to like? Besides, there's no rules and most importantly, no checkout time."

Finally, they foursome reached a caravan destination. Prompto figured it was like a checkpoint and his spirits went up. They were close at last!

His happiness soon turned into confusion when, for some reason, Ardyn had pulled into the parking space of said caravan. Prompto looked around and located a sign- Coernix Station, This wasn't their destination... was it?

As Ignis exited the car, he looked at Noctis, whose eyes quickly lit up at the sound of 'extra sleep'. "I daresay you had Noctis at 'no checkout time'." he chuckled. Noctis got out of the car, stretched and nodded.

"You know me... I'm all for extra sleep." Noctis chuckled as he stretched. Thank goodness he was out of that car!

Prompto simply grunted. He hated camping... a lot. But the better question- why were they at a caravan? Didn't they have some more travelling to do?

"Uhhh... Iggy? This isn't where the disc is, right? Soooo... what's the deal?"

Ardyn, right on cue, answered with pretty much the same answer as the previous night- he was tired and once again offered to foot the bill. He did reassure the team that they were close to the disc, and that by morning, they would arrive.

"Are you serious?" Gladio and Noct asked at the same time. Noct felt a vein throbbing behind his eye. He did NOT spend the past two days driving just to entertain this guy... no he did not just do this!

"Why, yes. It appears we can all use a bit of a breather." Ardyn answered, almost smugly. He turned and headed towards the caravan's owner to pay the bill. Gladio cracked his knuckles, really tempted to knock him out, but was stopped by Ignis.

"Gladio. As much as the... _concept_ of hitting him would do us all a great service, we cannot harm him. He is still our only chance for us to get to the Disc, remember?" Ignis didn't trust Ardyn no farther than Gladio could knock him back, but he knew that they had no choice... for now.

Noct sighed heavily. He smelled, his clothes were sticky, his head was beginning to hurt, and frankly, whatever they decided to do in regards of that bastard was not something he cared about.

"Let's just hit the hay already. I need a shower."

The other three reluctantly agreed, and approached Ardyn, who had finished paying the bill and gestured to the three caravans he'd rented for them for the night.

"I presume you boys would rather be amongst yourselves, correct? I shall stay alone in this caravan here." He headed toward the third caravan, furthest to the right. Waving his hand, he called, "Goodnight, boys! See you tomorrow for the rest of the trip!"

Prompto let out a small sigh of relief. He really couldn't stand the guy, and it seemed like everything was falling into place. It didn't seem like they had such a far trip to go, and he only had to deal with Ardyn for a few more hours. The strange feeling about him was FINALLY going away.

* * *

 _'I hate this man! Can we PLEASE have a little 'us' time?'_ Prompto thought angrily.

That night, after Ignis finished cooking dinner, Noctis finally took a shower and Gladio and Prompto were in the middle of a game of King's Knight, Ardyn approached them, looking as if he wanted to see what they were doing. He seemed particularly interested in the mobile game Gladio was very much intently trying to complete.

"What do you want." Gladio asked without looking up. Ardyn clasped his hands behind his back, smiling innocently. Prompto eyed him from where he sat, putting his phone down. Now, he felt funny.

"Nothing, dear boy. Just intrigued by how you guys pass time these days."

Prompto nodded slowly, putting his phone in his pocket. He lost interest in playing his favorite game, and decided to head in early. "Guys, I think I'm gonna turn in a bit early. I'll see ya."

Without another word, Prompto headed into the caravan he was to share with Noctis. Said king looked at the gunner's retreating form, a bit baffled. Since Ardyn began travelling with them, he'd noticed something a bit off about his best friend but wasn't sure on how to approach the topic.

"I'll be right back. Gonna go talk to the moping chocobo boy."

Noct excused himself and headed for the caravan. There, he found Prompto sitting on the bed, looking a bit upset. Noct sat next to him.

"Talk. Something's been bugging you?" Noct asked bluntly. Prompto looked at him.

"You... no. Never mind." He laughed humorlessly. "Probably wouldn't even believe me."

Prompto flopped down on the bed, his arm covering his eyes. He let out a groan. "Why meeee..."

Noct rolled his eyes and propped his feet up, using his best friend's lap as his leg resting spot. "So we're gonna be up all night. Not my idea of fun, but oh well. You're gonna tell me what's your deal or not?"

Prompto looked away. How exactly was he supposed to explain what he'd been experiencing the last few days? It wasn't like Noctis and his visionary headaches- it was just... a really bad feeling he couldn't shake off.

"Noct...? Can I ask you something? And promise you won't laugh."

"Alright. Shoot."

Prompto sighed. Here goes nothing... "You ever... get a bad feeling about something? And you can't shake it off, no matter what you try to do?"

Noct hummed in thought of the question, tapping his chin. "A bad feeling, huh... what, like nervousness?"

"No, more like... like someone's just... I dunno. Wrong. Evil."

Just like that, Noct put two and two together, and took his legs off Prompto's lap, sitting up, more alert. "This is about that Ardyn dude, isn't it."

Prompt chuckled. "Was it that obvious?"

Before Noct had a chance to answer that question, he suddenly grabbed at his skull, letting out a yell of pain as one of his headaches assaulted him. Prompto was shocked out of his relaxed state, and went to help his friend, who was kneeling on the ground as he tried to get the pain to stop.

Prompto placed his hand on his shoulder- and he was soon seeing a vision of himself attacking Ignis in a vicious manner. Or was he send Ignis to his death? Why was there so much blood? Better yet, why was he hurting Ignis? What happened to him?

Another flash, and an angry Gladio was storming towards him. Noctis was huddling their chef, and Ignis looked... afraid. Of him?

'I-Is this a dream? What's happening? What's wrong with Iggy?'

Prompto struggled to reach out to them, to find out what was happened, but all he could see... was a black, clawed arm. That was his arm? Was he a... no! NO!

"Prompto! PROMPTO!"

He snapped out of it. Gladio and Ignis were surrounding the younger two, Noctis having recovered mostly from his vision. They had been in the process of snapping Prompto out of whatever he was dealing with, and it seemed like he was having a fight with himself.

"Dude... what WAS that?" Noct asked in awe. Prompto blinked in confusion. "Wha- what just happened?" he asked, gripping his head. What WAS that?

Gladio stared at him. "Uhh, one second I hear Your Highness's screaming, the next you're yelling at someone about saving Ignis! What's going on, Prompto?"

The blond didn't like all the attention on him. He shrank back against the bed, very confused as to what he just went through. Ignis approached him and checked his forehead.

"Do you feel strange? Are you in any pain? Did something poison you last time we had a hunt?" Ignis was in doctor mode, and Prompto normally wouldn't complain any other day, but tonight...

"I'm okay... I don't know. Noct was having a headache and I was trying to talk to him and then..." He shuddered as the...vision, he presumed it was called, came back full force. It was horrifying... and it was beginning to make him sick.

"I don't know. I guess I must've ate something that actually didn't agree with me for once!" He tried to laugh it off, hoping his friends would drop the subject. "Guess I better lay off all the meat, huh Iggy." The last part felt forced, and Prompto knew no one was falling for his act.

Noct was still concerned, as was Ignis. Just then, Ardyn poked his head in the door, having noticed the group missing. Prompto's stomach dropped like a stone, and he leaned forward, groaning in pain. Ardyn's eyes lit up and a sick smile slowly spread across his face as he snapped his fingers behind his back. He then acted like his normal self as he stepped in the entrance.

"Is everyone alright?"

 _'Go away... please go away... it's you that's doing this, I know it!'_

Noct, luckily, knew why Prompto was curling in on himself, and said rather coldly, "We're fine. We just need a bit of space, if you don't mind?"

Ardyn just shrugged and with a slight flourish, turned and saw himself out. Prompto took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, and tugged on Noct's hand.

"Thanks." he said softly.

Ignis still wasn't pleased with how Prompto was fairing, and came to a decision. "Alright. I shall sleep in here with Prompto tonight, and Gladio, you shall stay with Noct." He announced. Noct and Gladio looked at Ignis as if he were crazy.

"You mean I have to share a bed with him?!" they exclaimed, pointing at one another. Ignis helped Prompto to the bed and glared at the two.

"You two... " Ignis rubbed his temple in slight frustration. "You two act more like _children_ then men. Yes, you will be sharing a caravan. I cannot leave Prompto in this state, and I refuse to leave him in either of your care. So you will go to the caravan and work out whatever issues you have. Do I make myself clear?" Ignis' tone of voice left no room for arguing.

Noct and Gladio sulked, but did as they were told. Both men glanced at Prompto, who was sitting up in the bed, and dazed out of his mind. Noct knew now that something about Ardyn was bothering him, but he needed more information. He needed something else to go off.

"Guess I'll talk to him in the morning then." Noct mentioned as he and Gladio walked to their caravan. He opened the door and stepped inside, Gladio following suit.

Gladio looked up. "What? Who are you talking to?"

Noct looked like he'd been thinking hard- something Gladio never thought was possible. Throwing his things on the bed, he sat down and crossed his legs in his typical fashion. "What's on your mind?"

"Prompto was telling me something about Ardyn..."

Gladio scoffed and waved him off before he could finish. "Yeah, that we can't trust the guy. I think we all knew that. But now that you mention it... have you noticed how he's been acting?"

"Not until tonight. And he refuses to tell me anything more about it. Maybe he's just freaking out because of that guy."

"Or he's just being an overdramatic drama queen. You know Prompto tends to exaggerate stories sometimes."

Noct wanted to deny that, but unfortunately, he knew Gladio had a point. Prompto did like to add sprinkles to his stories... a lot. But something just didn't feel right about how he'd been acting tonight...

"Trust me, Noct. Maybe your visions of Titan are rubbing off on him. Didn't believe it was possible, but you are definitely one of a kind." Gladio said with a yawn, kicking off his boots. Noct followed suit, and removed everything else except his shirt and boxers.

"Yeah. That's true." Noct stretched out on the bed. "Still can't believe I have to share a bed with YOU, though."

Gladio shoved Noct rather hard against the wall and got comfortable himself, laughing as his king gave him a look. "Listen, I ain't too keen on the idea either. But if anyone can get that stubborn kid to talk, it's definitely Iggy. So close your eyes and keep your feet to yourself or we're gonna have some issues, got it?"

* * *

"Prompto. Care to talk now?"

Ignis was sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs crossed and his poise elegant as always. Prompto always felt comfortable telling Ignis anything... well, personal, but this time...

"I... I really don't know what happened back there, Iggy. I mean, Noct and me were talking and then his headache came on and I tried to stop it and..."

"Breathe, Prompto. Breathe."

Prompto took in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "Honestly, that's what happened."

Ignis hummed in thought before handing Prompto some tea. In it, he mixed some sleeping powder to help Prompto rest for tonight. They needed all the energy they could get for the important trip in the morning.

"Its not like I do not believe you, Prompto. But that is a very strange occurrence. We've been in close contact with Noctis as well, and none of us have ever experienced that before. Has it happened any other time before now?"

Prompto accepted the tea and sipped at it. It tasted bitter, but it helped clear his head, that's for sure. He took another sip before answering Ignis' question.

"No... not that I knew of..." Prompto wished he could just hide someplace. He hadn't even meant to tell Noct anything- he just assumed it would go away when they were far away from that Ardyn guy...

"Heh... looks like the tea did its work for tonight. I will be speaking to you about this again, Prompto. For now, just sleep."

The tea... Prompto rolled his eyes in amusement as Ignis navigated his shoes off, placed him in the bed and covered him. Of course he'd put a sleeping... something in the damn tea. "Dammit, Iggy... who tol' ya to... put tha... in... my..."

Ignis smiled lightly. "No cursing, Prompto. And good night."

With Prompto now sleeping, Ignis had some time to think. He didn't get much from either Prompto or Noctis about the blond's sudden behavior, and sometime told Ignis that Ardyn was doing something more than what he was letting on.

"But what is your goal, Ardyn...? Why are you even here?" Ignis wondered aloud. "And why is Prompto acting so strange...?"

He didn't think any more answers would come to light until morning, when they were at the Disc of Cauthess. Perhaps it really was just the blond feeling uneasy around their unwanted companion. It wasn't like anyone else trusted him, anyways. Maybe Prompto simply didn't trust him and this was his way of showing it.

Chalking it up to that conclusion, but still keeping an eye on his friend, Ignis cut the lights and laid down for the night.

Outside, Ardyn stood outside, admiring the moon as a soft breeze fluttered his brown-ish locks in the wind. "Soon... they will all pay for what they have done. Noctis... you will pay..." he muttered to himself, pleased with how his plans were coming along.

Prompto was perfect, and now, with what he'd overheard tonight, he knew he'd made the right choice. He held up his hand... his daemon hand, and grinned wickedly.

" **All** will pay... Noctis, your friends... and you _Astrals_."

* * *

 **And complete! Again, I'm sorry for such a wait. I hope you all liked this chapter!**

 **Please let me know what you think.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	3. Caution

**Hello all! Time for the next chapter!**

 **Thank you for your patience; I apologize for my sporadic updating.**

 **Please enjoy! I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

 **Trusting You**

 **Chapter 3: Caution**

When Prompto awoke the next morning, Ignis was standing over the oven of their shared caravan, taking down some things and adding personal seasonings from his own collection on the tiny countertop. Prompto closed his eyes again, trying to recall exactly why he and Ignis were sharing a room together- wasn't it supposed to be him and Noctis?

And then that strange vision returned. He bolted straight up, and caught the chef's attention.

"Prompto? Are you alright?"

Prompto took a few deep breaths and felt his heart racing out of his chest. He nodded once, trying to reassure himself and Ignis that he was fine, that it was some freaky dream, and that things were about to go back to normal soon.

 _'It was all just a dream... right?'_

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Ignis giving him something, until a hot, very hot thing was carefully cradled in his hands.

He glanced up into Ignis's face, who was displaying his usual sense of calmness, as he helped him hold a cup of what he realized smelled like tea. "I think you will find this quite useful in soothing your worriedness, Prompto. Drink it carefully, now."

Prompto nodded and gave Ignis a small, appreciative smile. Ignis took the memo and got up once he felt Prompto could hold the cup on his own. Prompto stared into the cup of warmth. The tea was a clear golden color with green leaves floating in it- Prompto quickly figured out the some of leaves were mint. Past that, he couldn't figure out what he was drinking. But as he took the cup to his lips and took a sip, he decided that he didn't really care what the tea was. It felt good going down, and true to the chef's word, he was slowing calming down.

"Now... care to explain what happened last night?" Ignis' voice spoke. Prompto looked at him, then back at the cup. What happened... that was a very good question. Frankly, it was the same question he'd been asking since they all first met Ardyn.

"I assume it has something to do with Ardyn?" Prompto winced-damn, was it THAT obvious? _'I don't do a good job hiding these things from them, do I?'_

"H-How did you- oh, who am I kidding. It's YOU, Iggy. Of course you figured it out." Prompto said with an embarrassed groan, taking a long sip of tea to occupy his thoughts.

The spectacled man chuckled lightly at his friend's 'compliment' of sorts. "While I am touched by your compliment, it was not I who observed this behavior. Quite frankly, I am surprised that I didn't notice it sooner, but I'm glad it was brought to my attention."

At that, Prompto stopped drinking his tea, but swallowed what he had in his mouth a little too sudden. It flowed down the wrong tube, nearly choking him as he heard the shocking admission. As he sputtered, Ignis rushed over and slapped his back in order to help him get the tea out of his esophagus. It took him a moment, but he finally took in a deep, dramatic breath and laid back, panting.

"T-Thanks... Ig-Iggy..." he wheezed. Ignis chuckled in amusement and collected the cup. There was about a third of the cup remaining, so Ignis simply threw it down the drain.

"So about last night?" Back to business, per usual. Prompto groaned.

"Come onnnnn, Iggy! I almost died! Can't you cut a man a break?!" Prompto rolled onto his side and coughed, still feeling the sting of the tea in his throat. "I'll tell you sooner or later-"

"Well, it's either that or I call Gladiolus now and he'll make you talk. Would you want to deal with a grouchy giant such as himself?" Ignis was looking at Prompto with a michesvious glint in his eye, already opening the door. The blond scrambled upright.

"S-Seriously? I-Iggy, that's just plain mean, even for you!" Prompto sputtered as he fell out of the bed with his usual grace. Ignis smirked.

"But at least I got you out of bed. So talk."

Prompto, realizing he'd been duped yet again, gave in to his friend's demands. He sat cross-legged on the floor and chuckled nervously. "This is... kinda awkward..."

"Oh?" Ignis was sitting down next to him, holding a hot cup of something- Prompto assumed it was Ebony, steamed. "How so?"

"I mean... ugh, I might as well say it." he fought with himself before he shyly looked at Ignis.

"Y-yeah, to be honest, Ardyn bugs the heck outta me. Like, a lot. Since day one, really, but... I didn't know I was causing trouble for you guys. I'm sorry..." His head lowered in shame as he finished speaking.

Ignis placed a hand on the blonde's scrawny shoulder, and gave it a light squeeze. "Prompto, there isn't a need for apologies. We were concerned because you have been sleeping less and it shows in our battles. We need you just like you need us, but we cannot help you if you don't speak."

"I- W-well, yeah. You're right..." He finally admitted in defeat.

"So answer me this. Has this been an issue since we first began travelling with him?"

Prompto nodded sheepishly. Ignis made a noise and then took a sip from his mug. "Why have you not spoken until now?"

"We have too many other things to worry about, Iggy. I just... I thought he'd go away... but its like... its a nightmare." He answered quietly. "I mean, I know Noct isn't the biggest fan of him either, but... oh, I don't know."

Prompto knew that last part was a lie. He knew exactly why he felt so uneasy around Ardyn, and it had something to do with a bit of information he never shared with his friends- and was hoping he would never have to share, either.

Ignis finished his Ebony and set his mug down before he patted the blond on his shoulder. "Prompto, listen. If something about him is troubling you that badly, please don't hold onto those feelings. It can affect you in more ways than one, and we need all of us on high alert until whatever business Ardyn has with us is finished."

Prompto nodded and finished the tea, which had gotten a bit cold by this point. Ignis took his mug and his own and went off to wash them. "We need to depend on you, Prompto. We need to know you can watch our backs, and we can watch yours. Do you understand?"

Prompto mumbled something Ignis didn't bother asking him to repeat. He took that as a yes and about to clean up their dishes, leaving Prompto to his thoughts. _'Iggy... you don't understand. You don't know how much this hurts, not saying anything. I really, really wish I could tell you the truth. I wish I could tell you all the truth! But... what if it makes things worse doing so? What if.. what if I end up losing all of you... or what if you all...hate me...'_

"Because of who I am... I'm a monster..." Prompto painfully whispered to himself, wiping away some stray tears before they fell. Luckily, Ignis didn't notice or hear him. He took a deep breath to steady himself, slapped his cheeks to wake himself up, and forced himself to look a bit more normal. Just in time, too- Ignis had turned to him, and did a quick once over before he jerked his head towards the caravan door.

"Come along, Prompto. Let us see how our King and Gladio are doing." Prompto was so glad to be done with the conversation, he hopped off the bed and jogged after Ignis, ready to face his other friends with a fake smile on his face.

 _'I don't know how much Ardyn knows about me. I don't know why he is even here! But at least we can all agree on thing.'_

Gladio waved to Ignis, who was half tugging a still very sleepy Noctis behind him. Prompto laughed to himself, but his joy at his best friend's sleepy suffering was short lived when the sick, honeyed- tone voice called from across the caravan. Prompto felt his insides tense up and his nerves go on overdrive, but did his best to keep his face neutral.

 _'We can all agree... that we REALLY don't like this guy.'_

* * *

 **And done! I've had this chapter sitting around for months, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to add more to it or leave it as is. Finally, I re-read it over and decided to leave it like this, even thought it's short. I'll make the next one longer to make up for it.**

 **Anyways, please let me know what you think! I really shouldn't have to say this, but no flames or trolls.**

 **Until next chapter!**


End file.
